Hardworking volunteers donated more than 5.2 million hours in 2011 to clean, beautify and improve more than 16,500 communities during more than 30,000 events in all 50 states and beyond. Activities included beautifying parks and recreation areas, cleaning seashores and waterways, handling recycling collections, picking up litter, planting trees and flowers, and conducting educational programs and litter-free events.

Organize Your Own Great American Cleanup Event

Do you have any community eyesores? How many times have you passed by a litter-strewn park or graffiti-splashed building and wished it would go away? Perhaps it's the local playground plagued with garbage or maybe a recycling effort needs a jump-start. Whatever the concern, a solution is just around the corner. All it takes is someone to say "enough is enough" and work with community members to eliminate the problem. It's a great way to improve your local community and be one of the millions of volunteers involved in the Great American Cleanup.

Here are a few program suggestions: 

• Host a tree planting party 
• Put a new coat of paint on a graffiti-marked wall
• Adopt a road with your friends and plant flowers 
• Sponsor a litter collection contest
• Clean up a river or field that has become an illegal dump site
• Collect recyclable and reusable items on your block; deliver to a recycling center

The possibilities are endless - the choice to make a difference is yours. So roll up your sleeves and have fun. Your efforts to improve your community will become a source of pride for everyone. Registration is simple and available online.